Customer Reviews

Address Unknown

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I read this book (novella really - almost a short story) in one sitting, and found it to be both profoundly disturbing and very clever. There is a marvellous twist in the tale which I have to confess that I didn't see coming, and despite the real horrors of the story, left me satisfied and smiling at the end.

But this is not a perfect book - some of the other reviewers have mentioned the inaccuracies of the time and the geography, and how parts of some of the characters' adventures and activities are a little too pat. All of this is true. But we forgive all of that as we read the letters which demonstrate so well the dissolving of a lifetime's ties of friendship, and the infinitely clever revenge that is eventually had.

So, not a perfect book, but a very, very good one (4 and a half stars really), and one that I would recommend to anyone who is interested in history, clever writing, and who loves a story with a twist in the tale!

I can see why this book caused a sensation when it was first printed. It took me less than a half hour to read it but it will stay with me for years. I was left was many complex points to think about. Was Max completely in the right? Is what he did justified? I am amazed at the deep story that this little book contains and how it hits home as much today as it must have in 1938.

Sixty years later, apologists for the slow American response to the holocaust say that, gee, we just had no idea until the camps were liberated at the end of the war. Not so. In 1938, Katherine Kressman Taylor published the short story ADDRESS UNKNOWN in Story Magazine. Its popularity inspired a stand alone hardcover release the following year. The critics could not say enough. They and those who made it a bestseller knew.

It is a perfectly crafted, creatively conceived story and it is a story that delivered an unmistakable message about the Nazi menace. Taylor was inspired by what became of a couple she knew who moved to Germany in the 30's and from a newspaper article. This edition includes an introduction by the author's son who reveals some biographical detail and how the story came to be written. Even with this information and what we know of history, the story packs an unexpected punch. It takes fiction to the living edge of what it can do for society and culture.

This is a nicely produced edition, with a sturdy, flapped soft cover and rich vellum pages,worthy of the classic it is.

I am a lawyer, a history and English teacher in an American prep school, a mother, and wife of an Episcopal priest. My husband and I received this little book on Christmas Day at church from the author's son. We had no previous knowledge of the book or the author. My husband read it first in about 20 minutes. I read it the next day. I found the book moving, frightening, and believable. I was a history major with an emphasis in modern European and Russian/Soviet history. I visited Auschwitz on a college trip when I was 19 yrs. old. I have never forgotten the horror of that place. Over the years, I have read numerous books on this subject. I place "Address Unknown" up there with "Night" by Eli Weisel. This little book is very short and very powerful. I recommend it to anyone trying to come to grips with bigotry and racism in an age gone by, as well as in our own age. It is scary to think this could happen to any of us as well if we do not stand ever vigilant. Read it! PNG

As a teacher of English Composition, I have used this story for decades in my English 102 course. It always provokes stimulating discussions and satisfying writing, especially comparison-contrast between Max and Martin. Yes, some of the details are not historically accurate, and the title is incorrect (it should be Addressee Unknown), but those are not important matters. This is a fine work.

What did it mean to be Jewish in the late 1930's in Nazi Germany? How powerful was Hitler's fascist brainwashing of the German race? How quickly did he influence the German people ?

In an instant this book answers these questions and a great deal more regarding the Jews and Nazi Germany. It is a concise and compelling compilation of letters between a Jew in the States and a German returned from the States to live in Germany.

Martin, the German, after voicing initial hesitation, succumbs to the temptation of following Hitler and rejecting his Jewish friend and business partner in the process.

What is particularly disturbing is that it is clear from the outset that he is an intelligent, open-minded and well-educated individual. If even he is totally taken in by Hitler and his regime, what chance did those of a lesser education and a lesser quality of life have in the face of Hitler and his positive promises for the future ? They would have been swept along by his current of hope in an instant, even if that hope involved the elimination of minorities in the process.

Only much later could the majority of Germans step back and realise the true implications of the Hitler regime. `Address Unknown' captures this and much more in an exchange of but a few letters. The simplicitiy of the work emphasises the horrors of Hitler.

I was so impressed with this book. It's only a few pages, letters between two partners, one a Jew in America and one who becomes a Nazi in Germany. The "addressee unknown" stamp says it all, just like "night and fog"; the disappearance of people into a void. It evokes a chilling horror, but what was even better was the revenge story, in which the Jewish man proved just how wrong his partner was about the "Semitic race." This book can be read in an hour or less, but you'll think about it a lot longer. Brilliant.

I read this book in less than 20 minutes, but I was struck with its implications for hours afterwards. The novella touches on an important theme in the post-Sept. 11 world: that of revenge. Is it ever justified to take the law into your own hands, to punish someone who did you wrong, to make him lose his life? What good can this possibly do? While the revenge is certainly sweet, is it justified? Is it moral? Interesting topic for an essay.

This is an excellent short story. So much to understand between the lines that makes the story even better. Excellent for anyone interested in history of the holocaust and human relations. Sure to become a classic!

It's short, it's easy to read and it makes one think. Others have discussed what the book is about, so I will just suggest that you read it and most especially, that your kids read it! Most folks never have to face the kind of prejudice and hysteria hinted at in the book. Just a hint of such unpleasantness can be very unnerving, but it allows for a measured response, no? A good starting point for discussions into all kinds of areas!!

Good Luck,

Jay